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He said the first call came in at 12.54am and the first crew was on scene in less than six minutes.

A man (circled) looks from a window as smoke pours from a fire that has engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London.

Harrowing video footage showed trapped residents hanging the makeshift ropes made of sheets and blankets out of their windows several storeys up as flames and debris rain down the side of the building.

Mirror reporter Andy Lines is at the scene and is hearing harrowing accounts of people including children who were trapped on upper floors.

One resident who escaped from the 7th floor with his daughter told him the fire was so intense it was "like petrol being poured over it".

The fire is still burning around seven hours after it was first reported.

Smoke billows from a fire that has engulfed the 27-storey Grenfell Tower in west London (Image: Rick Findler/PA Wire)

A "major incident" has been declared and London Fire Brigade said 200 firefighters backed up by 40 engines were "working extremely hard" at the scene.

Firefighters were spotted rushing into the inferno - and one severely disabled woman was spotted being carried to safety.

The fire has engulfed almost every floor from the 2nd to the 24th - and as dawn broke it was clear there are still people trapped.

ITV reporter Jonathan Swain, who is at the scene, says he can still see people trapped inside the tower block “waving for help”.

Video footage emerged on social media of people on the street calling up to trapped residents at windows asking what floor they are on in an attempt to help guide the emergency crews.

More than 200 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze and London Ambulance Service said 30 people had been taken to five hospitals (Image: Rick Findler/PA Wire)

About 30 adjacent flats have been evacuated by police - and a large cordon has been established around the inferno.

Scorched cladding continues to fall from several storeys up.

There are more than 20 ambulance crews at the scene and at least 30 people have been rushed to five hospitals across the capital - with many having managed to make it out in their pyjamas - but it's too early if there are any more unaccounted for.

An emergency number has been set up for people who are concerned for loved ones who live in the building - call the Casualty Bureau at 0800 0961 233.

The cause of the blaze is not known - unconfirmed reports have suggested that a resident's fridge may have caught fire. London Fire Brigade says it is too early to establish the cause.

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Many people on social media have been quick to blame cladding which was recently placed on the building as part of a major £8.7million refurbishment for the reason the fire was able to take hold so quickly.

The Metropolitan Police said earlier that residents were being evacuated and there were "a number of people being treated for a range of injuries."

One onlooker said he could hear people screaming, writing on Twitter: "More screams for help as the fire spreads to another side of the building."

Fabio Bebber, tweeting live from the scene, said "people are still trapped on their windows screaming for their lives saying they can't get out."

He added: "We can see how quick the fire spreads via the external panels.

"It's so heartbreaking, I've seen someone flashing their torches at the top level and they obviously can't get out.

"The guys are doing an incredible job to try and get people out that building, but it's truly awful."

Actor and writer Tim Downie, who lives around 600 metres from the scene in Latimer Road, said he feared the block could collapse.

He said: "It's horrendous. The whole building is engulfed in flames. It's gone. It's just a matter of time before this building collapses.

"It's the most terrifying thing I've ever seen. I just hope they have got everyone out.

"The first I knew was the noise of sirens, helicopters and shouting. I saw it engulfed in flames."

"People have been bringing water, clothes, anything they've got to help, out to the cordon.

"I have seen people coming out in their bedclothes - it's just very distressing."

Meanwhile it's emerged residents had issued a chilling warning about fire safety just months before this morning’s blaze.

In a series of blog posts since 2013, a residents’ group called the Grenfell Action Group repeatedly criticised Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) - the company which manages the tower block - over its fire safety record.

This morning Assistant Commissioner Dan Daly from the London Fire Brigade described the blaze as "large and very serious".

He said: "Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus are working extremely hard in very difficult conditions to tackle this fire.

"This is a large and very serious incident and we have deployed numerous resources and specialist appliances.

"The Brigade was called to the fire at 12.54am and is still at the scene.

"Fire crews from North Kensington, Kensington, Hammersmith and Paddington and from surrounding fire stations are in attendance."

A Met Police spokesman said people were being treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

They added: “Police were called at 1.16am on Wednesday, 14 June to reports of a large fire at a block of flats in the Lancaster West Estate, W11.

“Officers, the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service are currently at the scene. An evacuation process is under way.

“At this stage we are aware of two people being treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

“Cordons are in place and it is advised that the estate and surrounding area is avoided.”

The Metropolitan Police has set up a casualty bureau for anyone concerned about their friends and family on 0800 0961 233.